Sugar Me Sweet
by Just Lovely
Summary: An insomniac,an artist,a dancer and an author.They try to be invisible,unseen and unheard.Four completely different girls with one thing in common:they're all loners. UNDER RE-CONSTRUCTION/BEING REWRITTEN
1. Chapter 1

**H**ey!

I am **Just Lovely.** and this is my (sort of, kind of) first fanfiction so please feel free to flame or review!

**D**isclaimer: I do not own Naruto and do not make any profit from this fanfiction.

**E**njoy!

_**Sugar Me Sweet**_

**Chapter 1: Beginning.**

A brunette looked up at the starch white ceiling. Her hazelnut irises piercing through the thin paper-like plaster, like arrows shooting through the silently still air. Her slender, muscled form covered with a variety of blankets assorted in different shades of green. She slowly turned her head to look at the blaring red numbers of the digital clock perched on her oak wood bedside table.

Slowly shaking her head in disbelief, she arose from her bed, stretching like a Cheshire cat, she walked over to her bathroom. Switching the light on, she stared at the glass, pale reflection from the mirror across from her. Rubbing the little sleepiness she had out of her eyes, she grabbed a black sweater and pulled it over her head.

Slipping down the stairs as quiet as a mouse, she grabbed her assorted keys and eased the front door open. The cold breeze washed over her body, blowing her messy hair behind her, framing her delicate, high-boned cheeks. She noiselessly entered her Prius, the normal leather smell wafting and surrounding her. Slowly she stuck the key into the ignition, turning it in the process and tiredly, leaned back against the front seat, waiting for the unusual coldness to cease.

Her brown orbs stared up at the grey car roof, wondering when she would finally fall asleep; suddenly she felt warm and carefully eased the pedal down and reversed the car down the driveway. As she drove through streets, neighborhoods, parks, schools and all types of buildings, the sun slowly arose from behind her, the sunlight drifting into the silver Prius and engulfing the female driver in light. As she turned down to her street and parked her car in the asphalt driveway, she stared up to her opened window and noticed the light in her room shining brightly.

Slowly watching, she noticed a shadow stepping across the black floorboards and to her window. Fast as a cheetah she quickly ducked down behind the car, staying quiet and still until she thought she saw the onlooker back away.

Looking at the window again, she noticed that she had been caught. Caught out driving at night when she should have been asleep by the pair of warm brown eyes she had become accustomed but now, the pair of fierce, angry and dark eyes that glared at her. Trudging forward through the scattered leaves, she opened the door and walked up the winding steps to her room, where awaited another lecture and another punishment.

This was the daily nightlife of Tenten.

...-...

Tenten stood in front of her wooden, brown, bedroom door, hand wrapped unsurely and lazily around the golden, metal knob, compensating if she should enter or not. Finally deciding on the former, she slowly turned the round object in her hand and the door creaked open.

Her hazelnut orbs surveyed the blank room; eyes lingering on the figure slouched over the opened window.

"It's not very youthful to slouch you know." Tenten joked to the figure, her eyes looking forward. She caught the slight flinch from the man and the hiss of breath escape him.

"You are in no position to criticize my stature." The figure responded, voice low and hard.

Tenten didn't respond, choosing instead to look pointedly away from him.

As the silence increased in the room, the man decided now to inform her of his thoughts.

"That was youthfully unwise of you to go out late at night. Unsupervised and alone. I'm really disappointed in you Tenten."

"Wouldn't have been the first." Tenten muttered lowly, but despite her efforts, her roommate had acute hearing and had heard every word.

He hissed quietly at her words, "Yes it wouldn't have been the first time because I have caught you for the last week and a half." He said to her, his voice rising an octave. Tenten flinched at the pitch and stayed quiet.

"What were you thinking? How could you try this again after all that I have said to you? Are you not listening to me? What is wrong with you?" He shouted at her, hissing and quietly, unyouthfully swearing under his breath.

"I can't believe you'd do this, after all I have done for you…" He broke off into silence.

Tenten stared down at the floor, guilt spilled across her face. Her eyes dulled, she understood her roommate's feelings. She understood that her green spandex wearing, bowl cut haired, bushy browed friend: Rock Lee was feeling. She slowly nodded her head, understanding everything he had said and knowing that she would accept his punishment without complaint because a friend like him deserved everything she could give him.

Lee shook his head furiously, unable to think of a proper punishment for his sneaky friend, and then realization streaked across his features. A small devious grin spread across his face, attracting the attention of the awaiting brunette.

"Actually, I think I have thought of a very youthful punishment for you dear blossom." Lee stated. Tenten waited silently for him to finish, hoping dreadfully that it wouldn't be so bad as the time he made her run fifty laps around the school, without stopping because she had sneaked out one night.

"I'd like you to get a job…" Lee trailed off, Tenten's eyebrows raised at the aspect of getting a job. She was never good with bosses or with anyone with a higher rank than her. It never really ended well. Tenten inwardly groaned at the thought.

"At that new sweets place, Tenten." Lee finished. Tenten's head bobbed absentmindedly. She liked sweets so surely it wouldn't end as badly.

She remained silent as her eyes looked out at the bright sun slowly rising from the horizon.

"Today and downtown, near that coffee shop you always go to every morning." Lee answered her, pearl white teeth forming a charming smile.

"Fine." Tenten responded. She opened her closet door and took out her school uniform. Lee took that as his cue to get the hell outta there and sprinted out the door and to his own room.

Tenten changed in utter silence, her thoughts pondering over the last conversation.

"_I'd like you to get a job…a job….a job."_

She moaned as she got up and looked over herself in the bathroom mirror. She had to admit, even though she did not like the thought of herself in a skirt, it was highly flattering on her.

Her uniform consisted of a white button up blouse with the school's insignia imprinted on the right shoulder sleeve, a black tie that hung loosely around her neck and a plaid black and blue skirt that ended right above her knees. She wore a pair of white leggings underneath her skirt as she fit her new, black, Puma sneakers onto her feet.

She grabbed the navy blue blazer off her chair as she hung her grey and green messenger bag across her shoulder. Shaping her chocolate brown hair into twin Chinese buns, she dashed out her room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

Grabbing a piece of toast from the toaster, she hurried out the door without further notice and sped to her beloved Prius. Opening the metal door, she was met with the smell of soft leather.

While munching on the piece of bread, Tenten silently drove to her high school. The prestigious, well known, Konoha Leaf High, or for short KLH.

As she turned the bend into the parking lot, her hazelnut orbs caught something that stood out amongst the several groups of students, the bobbing of _pink_ hair.

Tenten blinked her eyes.

"_It couldn't be her from all this time could it?"_ Tenten's thoughts swarmed around her mind as the questioning grew more pronounced.

Finally blaming the sight on the fact that she didn't exactly have any sleep the previous night and dropping the mental fight in her mind, she found a place to park, stepping out of the car and she began her walk to her locker.

...-...

Tenten reached the hallway and trudged down the several steps until coming in front of her locker. Reaching in, she grabbed her books for her next four classes. As she closed her locker and stepped into the school's courtyard, she found a great surprise awaiting her.

Someone was already there, and that someone was occupying her spot. Narrowing her eyes in hatred, she scanned the petit, lithe form that crouched over a sketchbook. The girl's indigo hair fell past her shoulders, draping her face from view. Tenten looked on at the girl, a faint lingering of remembrance, of familiarity. She wore exactly the same uniform as Tenten except the fact that she was wearing her blazer. Her small, pale hand raced across the page, forming shapes into faces, into sceneries. Tenten was awed by her ability to produce such beautiful canvases but showed no inclination to compliment the girl as she sat at the opposite corner. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she set her head down to take a light nap before her first class started.

Upon hearing the crunching of leaves, the indigo haired girl's head snapped up in surprise. Pale lavender eyes widened in shock and disbelief. A slow, heavy gasp escaped her slightly ajar mouth. Tears stung her eyes in hatred and fury, but also in sadness.

Tenten's head rose, hearing the warning bell ringing through the school. She stared ahead of her, her face immediately contorting into fury. Their gazes met, each icy and cold. Tenten rose from her seat, brushing access dirt and leaves off her clothes, while maintaining eye contact with the indigo haired girl. Before slipping through the courtyard exit, she sent a quick glare toward the silent girl and disappeared through the doorway.

Tears immediately leaked through the pale eyes as the girl tried desperately to conceal them behind her stoic façade; they dripped silently down onto her sketch.

The faces blurred to her dazed eyes, but still throughout her slight blindness she could still faintly make out the smiling faces of her separated friends. The original styled Chinese buns that were oh so familiar to the girl who had glared at her, the gleaming shine in the hazelnut eyes. Beside the girl was the eccentric form of a radiating girl. Head tilted to show her slight questioning face, shoulder length hair flowing around her shoulders, her arms wrapped around the two girls beside her. On her right was the girl with the Panda like buns and on her left was a dancer like girl. Arms poised over her head like wings, head tilted to show the sparkling smile adorning her flawless face.

A soft, muffled cry of pain emitted from the silent girl. At these moments she was the weakest of them all, at these moments, she was alone.

Hyuuga Hinata had always been the shy, meek, quiet girl. She stuttered at times but it soon faded once she had met Tenten, she threw herself into academics to please her father; she was a natural artist who always portrayed her emotions through paints, encils and acrylics. She was motherly, friendly, caring, kind; she was everything a friend could ever be, but she wasn't a liar. And that fact changed a lot of things.

...-...

**A**nd that was the first chapter of _Sugar Me Sweet_.

Review!

Sincerely,

**Just Lovely.**


	2. Chapter 2

**D**isclaimer: I do not own Naruto and do not profit from this fanfiction.

**E**njoy!

_**Sugar Me Sweet**_

**Chapter 2: Emotion.**

Tenten set a brisk pace to her homeroom, eyes narrowed and cold. Eyes strayed to her form but as quickly as they came, they quickly left, hoping not to anger the brunette any further as her aura radiated anger and fury to all who would oppose her.

Tenten hissed as thoughts and memories clouded her mind. The girl she had seen in the courtyard, the familiarity that presented it to herself, the stalling moments. Those were all that stopped her from going into an all out fury at the courtyard upon seeing the indigo-haired girl, the girl that looked so familiar to her but she couldn't put her finger on it. Hyuuga Hinata.

Her so called friend. Her so called friend who had died along with their friendship.

Tears of frustration sprang to her eyes, disrupting her vision but overall of this, overall she had learned from the past and the present was to not cry, because crying never solved anything, because crying and anger had ruined her life.

Reaching for the golden knob to the door, with eyes focused up in front, she was suddenly thrashed to the side. Hitting the doorframe, she felt the shots of pain run through her body, letting out a hiss of agony; she turned her eyes to the cause. Hazelnut orbs connected with the waving brown hair that cascaded down the back of one of her fellow students. His head turned toward her to check if he had inflicted any pain. Eyes widened in shock as they came face to face with her hazelnut irises.

Tenten narrowed her eyes in anger and disbelief at the very familiar face of none other than Hyuuga Neji, the cousin of the heiress Hyuuga Hinata. She turned her head away from him, unable to look at his face.

"T-Tenten. Um…are you alright?" Neji asked, disbelief wiped from his face and replaced with the calm composure she had grown accustomed.

She nodded her head in confirmation, not willing to speak in his presence.

"Hey! Are you okay? I am so sorry; I didn't mean to hurt you. Well…I pushed Neji and I guess I wasn't really looking." The newcomer blond rambled.

"Shut up Naruto. She's fine." Neji stated, he quickly shot a glance at Tenten again before pushing the blond into the classroom.

"Ouch, itai! That hurt Neji. Open the door next time." Naruto grumbled.

"Well, that's why you look before you go." Neji said sarcastically.

"It's not my fault you pushed before looking…" The blond mumbled in response

Tenten rolled her eyes at the stupidity of the blond. Said blond muttered something under his breath about his friend before opening the door and stepping inside. Neji turned to look at Tenten.

"Coming?" He asked curtly, politely holding the door open for her.

Tenten nodded in response and murmured a quick thanks before walking inside, Neji following suite and closed the door behind him. Tenten walked to the very back of the classroom before setting her bag down beside her chair and taking her seat. She felt the eyes of the Hyuuga on her as she took out her books, looking up she met his steady gaze with fierce eyes. He glowered at her fury before turning away to take a seat two desks across from her. Tenten slumped into her seat, her hands trembling. Shakily she curled them into fists and hid them under her desk from view as more and more students walked into the door.

Keeping her head down, her eyes scanned the desks around her, watching as they slowly began to fill up but there was always the same constant variable in all of these situations. Nobody came to sit around her, it wasn't unusual, it was ordinary.

As class began, Tenten drowned out the voices around her, trying to fix the turmoil that was her mind. As minutes passed she felt the same pair of eyes darting to her every few moments as the class was coming to an end.

Turning her head towards the direction of the pair of eyes, she caught Neji watching her closely, synchronizing her. She shot an icy glare at him, daring him to challenge her temper any further.

The bell rang, the loud shrill sounding in everyone's ears as they trudged out the door.

"Wait." Neji called to Tenten, grasping her arm in a firm grip.

She turned to him, "What do you want?"

Neji paused, pondering over his decision to detain the already furious brunette.

"Why? Why are you like this?" Neji questioned

Tenten looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"What. Are you talking about?"

"That. I'm talking about that. Why are you so cold, distant, angry?" Neji questioned, his grip on her arm tighter with each word.

"Let go of me. There's nothing different. There's nothing wrong. Even if there was, it wouldn't be any of your business." Tenten countered while hurriedly prying his fingers off her arm, as she slipped through the door.

Neji said nothing as he watched after her form, his eyes narrowing in frustration.

...-...

Tenten rubbed her arm; as she walked to the courtyard, bag swinging in sync with her strides. She opened the glass door, feeling the fresh air blowing over her face, sweeping her bangs around her cheeks. She scanned the wooden tables for any other presence there except for her. Sighing in realization that she was alone, she collapsed in the corner she had previously occupied that morning, dropping her messenger bag in the piles of leaves beside her.

She could still hear Neji's words repeating themselves over and over again.

_Why? Why are you like this? Why are you so cold, distant, angry?_

She didn't know. Maybe it was because of what happened…the tragedy that spread them apart. Her body shuddered thinking about the horrid thing, the thing that had ruined and torn her life apart piece by piece, the very thing that haunted her every dream and nightmare.

She heard the eerie squeak of the glass door as it opened. Tenten's head shot up, eyes zoomed in the direction of the door. Nobody skipped second period, nobody even went outside if they had a free period. So the question was why someone was there now.

A graceful blond danced into the courtyard. Her neat ponytail whipping through the opposing wind, her arms were held around her form as she danced around and around. A smile graced her features as she spun, the exhilaration and happiness glowing from her body.

Tenten dropped her head, avoiding any possible situation in which she would have to look eye to eye, face to face with the lithe dancer. Familiarity. A word she herself was familiar with, but dreaded as well. She heard the dance steps falter, the stumbling silence that followed, the crunch of the leaves faded away as Tenten felt eyes bore into her form. Slowly raising her eyes and looking through her thin bangs, she watched as the blond stared at the paint that was splattered on the wall in seemingly intricate patterns and designs, the art piece she herself had created, long ago; when they were still...friends.

Finally noticing that the blond had not paid any attention to her presence, Tenten quietly slipped her messenger bag onto her shoulder and stood straight up, bag swing side to side. She took slow steps toward the clear glass door, silently hoping for no acknowledgement from the familiar stranger.

"You. You did this, didn't you? It's really…amazing." The blond said, amazement evident in her clear, high soprano voice.

Tenten froze, but fortunately she was quick enough to recompose her stature.

"Yeah. Yeah I did. Thanks...Ino" Tenten replied back, her words a bit forced as they rushed between clenched teeth. The blond looked over at her stiff form, shocked at hearing her name uttered in a tone so unfamiliar but so similar to the one she had heard directed to strangers but now herself.

They both could feel the tension set in between themselves; the icy silence that they had forever endured from all those years.

Without another word, Tenten strode out through the glass doors; her hands trembled at her sides as she walked, her bag swinging, tick tock, tick tock; like the hands of the clock passing through time. A time that was pushed aside but never forgotten.

...-...

Ino stood in place as if her feet were frozen to the ground, her face contorted into a state of shock, a half smile winding its way onto her pale porcelain face, as her eyes softened; a thought came to pass through her mind.

_Maybe it's starting to change. Maybe we can be what we were before, maybe we can change everything._

But maybe it was hope that caused Ino to think such thoughts, it was always the lingering of the word that plagued and ruined her every dream. Maybe.

Ino had been like that, always would be. She was a believer who believed in anything to make something right. She had been caring, compasisonate, a drama queen, a diva, the girl all others envied; and she still was, but her loyalty was always questioned when it came to certain things.

Take her boyfriends for example, she was head over heels for all of them and even went low enough to ditch her friends and lie to them, to be with him, him who was a conniving idiot who thought it would be fun to mess around with her...

...-...

Tenten clenched her fists at her sides, her hazelnut orbs stinging with tears that threatened to fall. She would be strong, she wouldn't break down now; after all that she'd gone through, she wouldn't let her composure crash down. She hurriedly wiped her wrist across her eyes and walked to the parking lot.

Seconds later with her keys in hand and the door unlocked;she slipped inside and stuck the key into the ignition and let it hang, the slow side to side movement calmed Tenten down as she sat, watching quietly.

She sniffled and hurriedly wiped the moisture away from her eyes; revving her precious Prius up and driving out of the school parking lot.

She drove downtown, no destination in mind but one to avoid. School. It meant nothing to her, it was something to take her mind off things but it no longer served a purpose if they always somehow surfaced up.

She drove through downtown, her roommate's words flowing into her head.

...-...

Boutiques. Convenience stores. Malls. Supermarkets. Sport centres. Movie theatres.

All of them whizzed pass Tenten as she drove, none appealing to her, none defining her. Slowing to a stop, she stepped out of the warm leather comfort zone of her car; throwing her blazer off and into the back of the car she slipped her black hoodie over her head. She walked the block and a half to her favourite coffee shop, cell phone carefully tucked into the pocket of her hoodie. She hadn't exactly taken her roommates recommendation(word-by-word) in mind, she wouldn't exactly _get _the job, more like look for any better options.

She pushed open the clear glass door of the shop and sniffed, the bittersweet roasted coffee bean aroma wafted in the air around her and she slipped in. The walls were painted a charming deep purple, brown lining the tops and the bottoms of the walls. Windows were left wide open letting the cool breeze drift in, the oak wooden floors gleamed a soft brown as the hustle of the customers went on. Tenten walked on, her Puma clad feet gently stepping onto the floor as she made her way to the counter where the coffee machines were set up. Quickly getting in line, she ordered a peppermint mocha and stood to the side as she waited for her caffeine, the sun shone dimly behind clouds; casting looming shadows through the open windows.

Grabbing her cup, Tenten strode out the door and turned left; in front of her stood the sweets shop her roommate had recommended her to work at, the words "Sugar Me Sweet" were scrawled across the headboard in perfect, black calligraphy. Tenten sighed at the fuschia girly background, she slumped her shoulders in surrender and pushed the glass door open.

...-...

**A**nd that was the second chapter of _Sugar Me Sweet._

I am so sorry for the late update! My new summer resolution is to stop procrastinating (which isn't likely) so if you see a new chapter by the end of July then it worked...if not then I'm definitely a lost cause.

Review!

Sincerely,

**Just Lovely.**


	3. Chapter 3

**D**isclaimer: I do not own Naruto and do not profit from this fanfiction.

**E**njoy!

_**Sugar Me Sweet**_

**Chapter 3: Mystery.**

The warm smell of baked goods mixed with bitter coffee and subtle tea engulfed Tenten. It was a strange mixture of scents but oddly enough, they blended well together. Tenten gazed around herself, taking in every detail of the sweet shop. The walls were covered in peacock blue paint, black designs and patterns swirling and crisscrossing across the walls, the mahogany wooden floors were irritably sparkly clean; soft wooden table and chair sets were arranged in simple patterns, most against walls and a few in front of big rectangular windows. The setting was serene, quiet and peaceful. Tenten watched as the waiters and waitresses scurried past her, putting down plates of cookies and tarts, slices of cakes and pies, mugs of steaming hot tea and just-made coffee. They were all dressed the same, white shirts with grey pants and a deep red apron tied at the neck and waist.

The place was cozy despite it's girly exterior, it was enticing, comfortable and nice.

Tenten set herself down at a table for two in the corner, she looked around again; noticing how no other student from her school was there and relaxed.

She wasn't one to shy away from familiar faces but she was one to know it was better if she didn't mingle and make friends like any other person would. And that was why she was weird, she was one of them who had a bad past and were constantly looked down at. She hated feeling like that, hated feeling like dirt and garbage being kicked around. She couldn't take it but she would because she was that kind of person, because she had gone through too much to let it all go, she wasn't going to be on stage mask-less when the curtain went up. She was going to be masked and hidden. She was careful, she fretted over all the small things just like her ex-best friend did and she hated that she had learned from them, hated that she had been betrayed by them but the past was the past and you couldn't change it even if you could turn time back.

...-...

Tenten was so depressed as she sat, no word slipped through her lips, no emotion graced her features; she scared the countless staff members away. She was a stone cold statue that was stuck in the past that tore her life apart. She didn't say anything as she stood up from her seat, the chair nearly falling over from the force exerted. She didn't bat an eyelash at it as she strode over to the cash register.

The cashier was pretty she would have to say, her hair was wine red, her eyes a dark crimson. Dark glasses framed her eyes as they stared at her. The girl retied the red apron around her waist while she hopped from one foot to the other, she wore a black sweatshirt instead of the standard white shirt, silver skinnies instead of the grey. She was the one that stood out but even that wasn't enough for Tenten to carefully glance her over.

"You hiring?" Tenten asked, her tone clipped and strained.

The cashier looked at her, a brow raised, "Yeah...we are."

Tenten gave a quick nod, "Could I leave my resume with you then?"

"Sure, I'm Karin, the manager; I'll be the one looking it over." the cashier said slowly.

Tenten didn't seem fazed by the fact and dropped off the papers on the counter. "Thanks." she murmured and then she was out the door.

Karin stared after her, thin eyebrows raised and a slow smile playing on her lips.

...-...

Tenten trudged through the crowds that had amassed on the sidewalks and to her car. She glanced at her silver watch and sighed in exasperation, barely an hour had passed since she left the school parking lot and more than four hours remained.

With time to spare and a great distance from her to her car, random thoughts drifted in and out of her mind; she thought about all the most useless and all the most valuable things in life. Her education was one of the important things to her but she couldn't stand being in such an enclosed space filled with so many unwanted memories. Memories and dreams that had been formed with people who wouldn't be playing roles in her life anymore, their adjoined hopes of getting jobs at the same places, having fun gossiping at work; it was like a Mary-go-Round that spun round and round forevermore.

Tenten couldn't stand it, all the pressure that seemed to gradually increase rose to higher peaks and she soon found herself in her car, driving towards one of the many places she had sworn never to set foot again in. Her elementary school playground.

...-...

The playground was small but comforting, twin swing sets bordered the grassy land and a sand box sat at the center, twin slides flanking it. It was simple and best of all, no little kid was out at this time of day.

Tenten perched herself down onto a swing, swaying back and forth. The playground was her thinking place, her daydreaming place, it was where her...ex-friends knew where to find her, it was their secret to meet here anytime there was something to discuss. It was where they hung out, where they met, where all the memories started and where they ended.

The wind picked up and blew her chocolate brown bangs behind her, she wasn't the least bit affected by the rush of air, too engrossed in her daydreaming.

She didn't notice the form that sank into the swing next to her.

The rusted metal squeaked as the swing moved forward and backwards, consistent.

"I knew you'd be here." a soft familiar voice said from beside her.

Tenten looked up in surprise, her hazel irises narrowing as she caught sight of the pink hair. "What are you doing here?" she sneered.

"Thinking..."

"Shouldn't you be in school like the good _perfect_ girl you are?"

The girl flinched at Tenten's choice of wording, "Things change, Tenten."

"No, they don't. Despite how beings want to change, they will never fully shed their old natures; instead, they will hide behind lies. It's what everyone does."

"Forgive and forget. You have to let go of things. Mistakes happen."

"Don't tell me what to do. Don't give advice like you know everything. You lost that privilege a long time ago, Haruno." Tenten snarled at the girl.

"You're right, I don't know everything; that's why I'm trying to learn. Let go of some things and maybe you'll find that it benefits you more than you can imagine. It was a mistake...and I'm sorry. I did stupid things, we, did stupid things; I know that, that's why I'm trying to change. Just listen to me...for once Tenten, don't be so bitter, don't dwell on things that happened so long ago."

"I don't want to listen to you, or to anyone for that matter. People. Don't. Change. Get it through that thick skull of yours, Sakura. That's how life is and how it'll always be."

Tenten pulled off of the swing and tore out of the grounds, leaving the troubled girl alone, swinging back and forth on an old rusty memory.

...-...

Her strides were long and angry. Her fingers curled into themselves in fury. Her hazel orbs narrowed down, she was sick and tired of people telling her what to do, telling her to do this or to do that, telling her to change when no one can change, telling her to be someone she wasn't.

Haruno Sakura hadn't been like how she was now, she had been the bubbly, smart-ass girl that everyone knew, loved and for some, feared. She never gave advice unless it was for emergencies, she never told anyone what to do because she believed that everyone had their own choices to make and that no one could interfere with that logic. She was kind, she was loving, care-free, hot-tempered, passionate, friendly, trustworthy but most of all, she was loyal or...so it had seemed.

It hurt Tenten to think of how things had been, it twisted at her heart how much she wanted to believe Sakura's words. But she was determined to push it all aside. She was determined not to let Sakura get to her, she was determined to make it through one more year until her freedom took her away from this wretched place.

Tenten was a woman of her word and once it was said, it would be followed to the bitter end.

...-...

She walked for what was like hours, thinking and trying so hard to make all the encounters that day disappear from thought and memory. The sun began to slink down the horizon, rays of purple, red, orange, yellow and blue streaked the sky. Street lamps lit up, less cars drove by and soon Tenten found herself utterly alone in the dim darkness. It was then that she realized soft, quiet footfalls thudding behind her, a shadow lingering a few paces behind. Her breath hitched in her throat, hazel eyes widening in shock and fright, she curled more into herself as her pace quickened.

But it was to no avail, the footsteps moved at the same pace, being right where her footsteps were before, tracing her movements.

Tenten broke into a run. She sprinted as fast and far as her legs would go, they pumped harder, faster but the more power she thrust into her legs, the quicker she weakened. Fear rolled in the pit of her stomach as she moved but she had no sense of direction. She moved to anywhere that shone light, anywhere that had people around, she was scared so immensely that she didn't notice the crazy street that led rushing cars by that she was headed straight for.

She turned her head to look across her shoulder, the figure stared back with odd looking eyes and a slight grin that looked vaguely familiar but creepy all the same. She shivered in her hoodie as the wind blew wildly against her stray hair that was quickly falling out of her buns due to her running. Turning back to glimpse at the figure, she caught the worried look that crossed their features, their eyes widened in shock as they reached out to yank her backwards. She felt a scream freeze in her throat as a truck honked loudly in front of her and she fell.

Bright flashes of light blinded her as she fell and she sat unmoving on the ground, terror etched upon the scream that slipped through her lips.

The figure darted forwards and grabbed her around the waist and arm as they quickly hoisted her up and sprinted toward the other side of the busy street as the truck came roaring past, nearly hitting them. They gently set her down onto the sidewalk and kneeled before her, murmuring soft words of comfort and reassurance. None of them affected Tenten as she sat there gasping for big gulps of air, her hazel orbs traumatized. Around her, traffic went on and no body took a moment to glance down at her panicked form. She uncontrollably shook as she wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth.

"Tenten. Are you alright?" the figure asked as he carefully placed his soft, warm hand on her trembling shoulder.

Tenten didn't look or acknowledge him, his words fell past her ears. She didn't stop to wonder how they knew her name but she didn't care, the only scene that seemed to process in her brain was the loud honking and the bright flashing of lights, the feeling of her legs collapsing beneath her and her frozen look of shock and horror was still fresh in her body. Silent tears trailed down her pale cheeks as sobs built up in her chest.

"Tenten. Please answer." the figure pleaded again, their voice was low and desperate as they lightly brushed away her bangs from her glassy eyes. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

She was silent for a few moments, "I-I'm sc-scared." she stuttered.

"There's nothing to be scared about anymore. You're going to be fine, you're going to be safe okay?" the figure whispered to her, gently and soothingly as they rubbed her back in small circles. "Shhhh. Shhhh. Nothing is going to hurt you."

And for once, Tenten listened. She listened to their soft tender words of comfort, the safety that revealed itself in their voice; she felt secure as she sat there, listening, obliging.

...-...

"Who are you?" Tenten asked once she was sure her voice would not tremble.

The figure glanced at her from the corner of their eyes, hesitant. "You know me very well..."

"Do I?"

"Yes, you do, I'm not sure you realize it though."

"So then why don't you just tell me about yourself and I can guess?" Tenten suggested, as she pulled herself up from her perch on the sidewalk and straightened her skirt. "I've got to get to my car anyways."

"Aren't you scared that I'll hurt you when we're alone?"

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes down at the scenario, "If you were going to, you would have left me stranded on the street or you would have done so sooner. You wouldn't have bothered to comfort me or to listen and you wouldn't have answered my questions about your identity."

"Logical, but what if I'm going to kidnap you?"

"You wouldn't have taken the time to tell me about all these things and would have done it already."

The figure, from what Tenten could tell was male, from his broad shoulders to the sharp planes of his face, he had a black jacket zipped all the way up to his throat and a hood over his head, covering the soft layer of coffee brown hair.

"If you're done staring at me, could we go now?" he said as he gave a small smirk, her face reddened with embarrassment and she made to direct the way, all the way pondering about how familiar that smirk was to her.

"So... tell me some facts about yourself." Tenten inquired, as she looked beside her to his taller form.

"I'm seventeen. I don't like to talk a lot or socialize. I'm called a prodigy. I'm quiet. I'm overprotective. Others say I'm too uptight and too polite." he said, "Who am I?"

Tenten looked at him strangely, all the information sounded so familiar but she just couldn't place her finger on it. Who was he?

...-...

**A**nd that was the third chapter of S_ugar Me Sweet_.

I'm so sorry for the late update. I won't be updating until maybe late August or early September.

Review!

Thoughts about any improvement would be very appreciated!

Sincerely,

**Just Lovely.**


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